Poljane and Veprinac, two secluded spots in the Opatija hinterland, will lead you to undiscovered culinary delights. Taste the succulent sweet chestnuts or maruni, the great wine and olive oil, pure honey, local Betina biscuits and much more!

If Opatija is the Queen of the Adriatic, then the towns and villages in its hinterland are the jewels in its crown. The dense forests of sweet chestnuts  or maruni, vineyards bathed in the Mediterranean sun, lavender fields, stone houses and old city walls, all enveloped in a historical and mystical aura, not to mention the fresh Učka air, await you. Need a better invitation?

The discovery of this "magical garden", whose local products have nourished generations of Opatija residents and forever remained in the memories of numerous visitors to the city, begins in picturesque Poljane, a place dominated by the Church of St. Peter. If you find yourself here in late summer or early autumn, be sure to take the opportunity to visit the ”maruni” forests and taste these sweet big chestnut "relatives".

In the remaining seasons of the year in Poljane, you will have plenty of things to see and do - try the olive oil and wines on the Perišić family farm, which also houses a pond with little fish "pets”; try the honey and its products from the Depoli family and take a look at their bee hotel; or stroll through the lavender fields belonging of the Šikić family... 

he next stop on your path to the hidden charms of the Opatija hinterland is the town of Veprinac, which for more than a thousand years has been guarding Opatija and in which, besides strolling through the stone pebble-paved old town, you can end up in a "pržun" or dungeon.

The prison is located in Komunšćica, a former administrative building that today houses an ethno collection with numerous exhibits that depict the everyday life of the town from the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. You can also taste part of that history - the famous local Veprinac Betina biscuits - and get to know how they are made; the recipe is passed down from generation to generation. 

After visiting the Church of St. Mark and the lookout in front of it, offering a unique view of the bay, a walk through the ”kostanji” chestnut forest in Plovanjski Dol will make the difference between a maruni chestnut, a kostanji chestnut and the more common chestnut much clearer. Visit the Ukić family and get to know the wild herbs of this area, learn about veprina and what its medicinal properties are, as well as where the town got its name from. 

Before returning to Opatija, taste the award-winning wines of the Rumac family in an authentic seaside tavern.